funny lap steel footage

Loni Specter · Post by **Loni Specter** » 26 Aug 2007 9:46 pm

Kinda silly but, hey how many people probably never saw a lap steel before this?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TqS1DYN1dxs&NR=1

Michael Johnstone · Post by **Michael Johnstone** » 27 Aug 2007 7:19 am

That's real cool. I haven't seen films of him for decades and now that I do it seems like he has more chops than I remember. I never realized he was missing 2 fingers on his left hand. What's the story with that?

Ray Montee (RIP) · Post by **Ray Montee (RIP)** » 27 Aug 2007 10:19 am

Wasn't there an incident back in the mid-50's or thereabouts, where Jody was cranking up a trailer house or boat or something of that nature, when it fell on his hand? I seem to recall something of that nature but that was before we out here on the LEFT Coast had any exposure to Cuz' Jody. Had not idea WHO he was.

Sam Floyd · Post by **Sam Floyd** » 27 Aug 2007 11:55 am

Back in the 70s, my Dad took me to Hawaii to see JB. While there, I remember a local steel player who lost his left hand. He played with a block that held the bar. He was very good but I do not remember his name.
I remember we were watching JB play one night and this guy walked right up to JB and put his block right on the neck Jerry was playing. Jerry never missed a beat.

V/r,
Sam

Randy Reeves · Post by **Randy Reeves** » 27 Aug 2007 12:11 pm

I really enjoy old footage as this. more please....

two fingers? huh. I thought I he was holding the bar different. I believe he got a few slants going. the lap steel looks like a Rickenbacher.
was lap steel his primary instrument?
did he really have teeth?

Eddie Cunningham · Post by **Eddie Cunningham** » 27 Aug 2007 12:13 pm

Sam , That had to be Billy Hew Len. Amazing player without most of his left hand !! ?? Eddie "C"

Ron Whitfield · Post by **Ron Whitfield** » 27 Aug 2007 12:17 pm

And very few others would have the balls to step onto a stage while JB was playing, let alone get close enuf to touch his guitar, before Jerry'd give 'em the evil eye.
They were very good friends.

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 27 Aug 2007 12:29 pm

Fun stuff! I always enjoyed Cousin Jody's "in your face" sound. He's not shy, and I really like his approach. I haven't seen any of these Jody clips in years, and it's nice to see this again.

And that acoustic guitar... that Pickguard looks like it's from another planet!

Erv Niehaus · Post by **Erv Niehaus** » 27 Aug 2007 12:39 pm

When he used to play on the opry, I seem to remember him playing a Gibson BR-6 guitar.

James Mayer · Post by **James Mayer** » 27 Aug 2007 12:40 pm

Cause horses carry what? What are they saying there?

Charley Wilder · Post by **Charley Wilder** » 27 Aug 2007 12:42 pm

Like some of the other poster's I haven't seen Jody in years! I always loved him with Lonzo an Oscar. As I stated on another thread "Jody" influenced Josh Graves quite a bit. And probably others. And yes, he did have teeth. Evelyn Graves told me that if you had only seen him as "Jody" and met him on the street with his teeth in and in "straight" clothes you wouldn't have a clue who he was. He looked totally different! And I'll ask also. What brand and model was his lap steel?

Erv Niehaus · Post by **Erv Niehaus** » 27 Aug 2007 12:54 pm

"Horses carry tails (tales)".

Ray Montee (RIP) · Post by **Ray Montee (RIP)** » 27 Aug 2007 1:01 pm

From the clip......my best guess is that it's a GIBSON. I notice the ivory or plastic trim on both the top and bottom of the guitar body.
I too, at first glance, tho't it to be a Rick.......But the GIBSON seems more plausible.

Charley Wilder · Post by **Charley Wilder** » 27 Aug 2007 1:05 pm

It's in the Country Hall of Fame in Nashville,or was in the mid-seventies. I saw it but didn't look too close obviously!

George Keoki Lake · Post by **George Keoki Lake** » 27 Aug 2007 1:07 pm

Billy Hew Len did not lose "MOST" of his left hand, he lost his entire left hand from the wrist. Hey, anybody notice the striking resemblance of that fiddle player to Spade Cooley ? That Jody fella sure knew his way around the steel guitar and played the biscuit cutter in tune ! Great clip ... ya just don't see that kind of cornball anymore.

Erv Niehaus · Post by **Erv Niehaus** » 27 Aug 2007 1:50 pm

Thank Heavens!

Don Barnhardt · Post by **Don Barnhardt** » 27 Aug 2007 7:00 pm

The instrument looks like a Ricky I bought off a guy on the street in Milwaukee around 1955.

Jude Reinhardt · Post by **Jude Reinhardt** » 28 Aug 2007 4:08 am

No one else has brought it up so I'll jump in. Cousin Jody's name was Clell Summey and he was the dobro player on Roy Acuff's original recording of the "Wabash Cannonball".

Jude

Roy Ayres · Post by **Roy Ayres** » 28 Aug 2007 4:59 am

Jude is correct. His name was James Clell Summey. To the best of my knowledge, he was the first to play electric steel on the Opry. He played with Pee Wee King prior to Don Davis. I replaced Don after he had been there a bout a year, and Clell was still there. His axe was a Gibson.

Erv Niehaus · Post by **Erv Niehaus** » 28 Aug 2007 6:32 am

Something like this:

Charley Wilder · Post by **Charley Wilder** » 28 Aug 2007 7:23 am

Don't want to sell that do you, Irv?

Erv Niehaus · Post by **Erv Niehaus** » 28 Aug 2007 7:47 am

Charles,
Not at this time.

Roy Ayres · Post by **Roy Ayres** » 28 Aug 2007 10:12 am

Correction to my earlier post above:

I forgot to say that Roy Wiggins played with Pee Wee King for awhile before Don Davis. He left Pee Wee when Eddie Arnold left Pee Wee to form his own group.

=========================
Erv:
Yes, SOMETHING like that but an older model. It didn't have that large gold skirt surrounding the pickup and bridge.

Roger Shackelton · Post by **Roger Shackelton** » 4 Sep 2007 12:54 am

I believe I saw Cousin Jody on The Ed Sullivan show in the 1950s.

Roger Shackelton · Post by **Roger Shackelton** » 4 Sep 2007 1:10 am

Did anyone recognize the fiddler? Johnny.....?

The Steel Guitar Forum

funny lap steel footage

funny lap steel footage

TWO MISSING F'angers...........

Had to be "Billy " ?? Lost his left hand ??

Jody'd g'tar..........

Wabash Cannonball